SPE Journal
Volume 14, Number 4, December 2009, pp. 588-594

SPE-110628-PA

Experimental Study of CO2 Injection Into Saline Formations

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DOI  More information 10.2118/110628-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/110628-PA

Citation

  • Cinar, Y., Riaz, A., and Tchelepi, H. 2009. Experimental Study of CO2 Injection Into Saline Formations. SPE J.  14 (4): 588-594. SPE-110628-PA. doi: 10.2118/110628-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 6 Reservoir Description and Dynamics

Keywords

  • CO2 storage, saline aquifers, instability, capillary number, Bond number

Summary

We present laboratory experiments to investigate the influence of gravitational, viscous, and capillary effects on the CO2 injection process. Quasi 2D experiments are performed in a vertical glass-bead pack in the parameter range of interest for CO2 sequestration in deep aquifers (i.e., with Bond numbers of approximately 10-3 and capillary numbers on the order of 10-4). The objective is to investigate the type of flow regimes that occur under favorable as well as unfavorable conditions of density and viscosity. The experiments demonstrate the existence of pore-scale instability in the presence of unfavorable gradients of viscosity and density. Consequently, conventional mathematical models may not be able to represent these unstable flows appropriately. A comparison with estimates from percolation theory shows reasonably good agreement with experimental observations.

© 2009. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 10 August 2007
  • Meeting paper published: 11 November 2007
  • Revised manuscript received: 3 July 2008
  • Manuscript approved: 26 July 2008
  • Published online: 16 July 2009
  • Version of record: 22 December 2009